Why College Athletes Should Not Have Twitter

Pessimistic or realistic? There are certain things that instincts tell you are dangerous. The unknown is simply too big to be plunged into headfirst.

As Notre Dame's sophomore sensation Skylar Diggins flourished during this year's NCAA tournament, her popularity grew as well. From celebrity tweets to hip hop moguls rocking her jersey, Diggins entered the realm that NCAA sports unfortunately have no idea how to handle.

It's our society that leaves no one with a squeaky clean image because people are determined to find dirt on them. But that dark reality should be reserved for those mature enough to handle it.

It should be reserved for the wealthy, those paid for their talents, those who can accept that dirt because buried underneath are the expected pleasures of stardom.

It would be irresponsible of me to even give notice to the reports that have been circling the web about Diggins. However, the reports have the power to not only damage her reputation but also the image of her university.

And I ask, how did we get to this point? How did a couple great games and a couple U-stream sessions interacting with fans turn into this type of story? It was a natural disaster.

When individuals become bigger than teams, when superstars become bigger than their sport and when collegiate athletes become bigger than their college or university, the rules change.

Once again, it's easy to hate LeBron, but how can we shield 18, 19, 20-year-olds from this type of media scrutiny? How can we ensure they are treated with respect and don't do something that they will regret? In one word, restriction.

Trust me, Skylar Diggins was simply the tipping point. If college athletes are allowed to build fanbases and become celebrities in college, the very thing that we love about college sports—team before individual—will die.